India and France will soon begin negotiations into deals for the 26 Rafale aircraft and three Scorpene class submarines for the Indian Navy, sources have clarified to NDTV.
The clarification comes after the final draft of the India-France joint statement issued in Paris during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last week missed any specific mention of these deals, which had earlier been cleared by the Defence Acquisition Committee of the Ministry of Defence.
Sources now say the Rafale deal was not included in the statement as it is a 25-year roadmap.
Rafale was not part of the roadmap as it was for the next 25 years, said sources. The contract would be done long before 25 years, so it was felt that it didn’t have to go in the statement, they said.
“India wants Rafales and Scorpenes. But now negotiations will take place. Before the contract is signed, we need to discuss with the industry and finalise. You shouldn’t read too much into it not being specifically mentioned in the statement,” said sources.
The sources said the Scorpene deal was yet to be sealed; the contract negotiations and industrial arrangements need to be worked out. “The price, date of delivery need to be finalised.
